Tales of Tamriel: The Jaws of Oblivion
by AbiwonKenabi
Summary: Tamriel has many heroes, but few brave enough to face the Prince of Destruction. Emperor Uriel Septim VII has foreseen a threat from the daedric world, and with his dying breath, charges an escaped prisoner to "close shut the jaws of Oblivion!" [Discontinued]
1. Lucky Day

_I was born 87 years ago. For 65 years, I've ruled as Tamriel's emperor. But after all these years, I've never been the ruler of my own dreams…I have seen the gates of Oblivion, beyond which no waking eye can see._

_Behold: in darkness a doom sweeps the land…_

_This is the 27th__ of Last Seed, the year of Akatosh, 433. These are the closing days of the third era, and the final hours of my life._

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><p>Tales of Tamriel<p>

THE JAWS OF OBLIVION

In the light of midday, the Imperial city walls shine reflected light onto the citizens milling about their day. White Gold Tower stands as a monument to the past, proudly shining in the sun with hope for the future. It's beautiful light shines down on the people of Tamriel; Dark Elves, Imperials, Bretons, Wood Elves, High Elves, Orcs, Argonians, Redguards, Nords, and Khajiit…it didn't matter what race. Life was at peace on this gorgeous day, and nothing in the city implied that anything was amiss.

But the real events were not happening in the sunshine of the Imperial city, but in a place where the light barely touched, where only dirty, dingy beams reached through the bars into the dark prison cell, landing softly on the red fur of it's prisoner.

The prisoner was brooding in the darkest corner of her cell, green eyes flashing in the reflected light. Her catlike ears flitted around at any small sound, her eyes darted to any movement. Although because there were few, the elegant Khajiit stayed relatively still.

Across the hall in another cell, Valen Dreth, a plucky, irritated Dunmer noticed the stillness of his prison mate and, mistaking her stillness for sleep, initiated conversation with her.

"Wake up, kitty kitty," Valen hissed through the bars. The Khajiit flipped her ears towards the grating sound of his voice. "Kitty, kitty?" Valen snickered.

The Khajiit approached the door to her cell to better glare at the amused Dunmer. She flexed the claws of her hands and flicked her tail in irritation.

Valen sneered at her. "That's it. There's a rat here in my cell, Khajiit," he taunted, "A fat, tasty rat. Does the kitty want it? Is the kitty hungry?"

The "kitty" bared her white fangs menacingly, but otherwise said nothing.

Valen's expression changed, from mocking politeness to downright meanness. His angled eyebrows revealed his untrusting expression.

"You'd better take whatever you can get in here, Khajiit. They don't feed the new prisoners." He seemed to take delight in this fact as his face rose to a sneer again. "Didn't you know that? First they starve you. Then they beat you. Then, if you're lucky, they kill you. That's right. You're going to _die_ in here!"

The Khajiit growled and hissed through the bars at the ornery Dunmer, but stopped as she heard the dungeon door creak open, with voices floating through.

Valen heard it too. "Hey! You hear that? The guards are coming. For you," Valen cackled uncontrollably as he retreated into his cell.

The Khajiit listened to the guards' steps continue down the steps. Some of the steps didn't sound like the heavy clink-clank of the guards. She tuned into the voices.

"My sons…they're dead, aren't they?" a gloomy voice asked.

"We don't know that, Sire," a rapt, female voice said, "The messenger only said they were attacked."

"No, they're dead," the gloomy voice replied, "I know it."

"My job right now is to get you to safety," the female said as she marched into view, another guard by her side.

They turned to face the Khajiit's cell, and she got a better look at them. The female had a shrewd, stern face with puckered red lips. She and the guard standing next to her wore different armor from the usual prison guards. It had arching shoulder pads and was a deep gray accented with gold. The helmet featured a nose piece in the shape of a golden snake. The guards also had katanas hanging at their sides.

"What's this prisoner doing here? This cell is supposed to be off-limits," the stern lady demanded. She glared at the Khajiit as though it were her fault.

"Usual mix-up with the Watch," the other guard stammered to explain, "I…um-"

"Nevermind. Get that gate open," she demanded. "Stand back prisoner. We won't hesitate to kill you if you get in our way."

The Khajiit returned the glare, but stepped slowly back to stand in the shadows under the window. The guard hurriedly pulled out a key and unlocked the door, charging in.

"Stay put, prisoner," he warned with a menacing finger

The woman followed in with another guard and a man. "Good. Let's go. We're not out of this yet," she told the others.

The other guard, a Redguard, nodded, but the other man stood there silently, with a grim expression. The Khajiit realized this must be the owner of the gloomy voice. The man was most definitely not a guard and was dressed lavishly in fur trimmed clothing. His gray hair and wrinkled face revealed his old age. He wore a heavy, diamond-shaped amulet around his neck, which seemed to be glowing red faintly in the dark dungeon.

His downfallen expression lifted as he surveyed the prisoner, as if he were seeing an old friend come to cheer him up.

"You….I've seen you…" he said as he stepped closer. "Let me see your face."

The Khajiit exposed her beautiful mane-braided into many small braids and pulled back by a black headband-as she stepped into the dingy light of the window. She suspiciously eyed the amulet man as he studied her face.

"You are the one from my dreams," he said slowly, "Then the stars were right and this is the day."

The prisoner couldn't recall meeting such an important man, let alone in his _dreams._ And she wondered what he thought would happen this day, other than a handful of guards barging in her cell and intruding upon her relative peace.

The man looked to the ceiling as if praying. "Gods give me strength."

"What's going on?" the Khajiit demanded, breaking her silence at last.

The man returned to his worried expression. "Assassins attacked my sons, and I'm next. My Blades-" he indicated the guards "-are leading me out of the city along a secret escape route."

The prisoner still stared at him suspiciously.

Oddly enough, he smiled. "By chance, the entrance to that escape route leads through your cell."

"Who are you?" she spat.

He assumed his previous expression and responded calmly. "I am your emperor, Uriel Septim. By the grace of the Gods, I serve Tamriel as her ruler. You are a citizen of Tamriel, and you, too, shall serve her in your own way."

The Khajiit couldn't help but roll her eyes. This man spoke of fate, of serving one's country. Where had fate gotten her? Landed in a grimy prison cell across from a rude Dark Elf.

"Why am I in jail?" she asked, almost sarcastically.

"Perhaps the Gods have placed you here so that we may meet," the emperor suggested. "As for what you have done, it does not matter. That is not what you will be remembered for." He paused and smiled, almost looking proudly at the dirty Khajiit prisoner. "What is your name?"

The prisoner hesitated. She answered slowly. "K'Lali. My name's K'Lali, and I go my own way." she asserted.

"So do we all," the emperor nodded sagely, "But what path can be avoided whose end is fixed by the almighty Gods?"

"Please, sire, we must keep moving," the woman interrupted. She pressed a stone in the wall which caused a secret passage to open.

"Better not close this one," she said, leading the way through the passage, "There's no way to open it from the other side."

The three Blades led the emperor through the tunnel to a door. K'Lali peered down the passage after them. The Redguard eyed her slyly as he passed.

"Looks like this is your lucky day. Just stay out of our way."


	2. The Amulet of Kings

**Author's Note: Hello, welcome to my current obsession. I have to apologize for the lack of original dialogue in the last chapter. I should have better opportunity this chapter to actually write my own stuff. My aim for this "Tales of Tamriel" series is to write my own version of each of the 6 main quest lines, flesh out the story along the way while also staying true to the actual in-game storyline. Reviews would be much appreciated. On a side note, who else is super excited for Skyrim? :)**

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><p>The Blades crept down the stone passageways in the scant, bluish light. Their emperor followed within their protection, his robes sliding silently down the stairs he descended. Trailing behind this escape party was a cautious Khajiit, dressed in rags fitting of a prisoner. It would've been a strange sight indeed were the circumstances not so serious.<p>

K'Lali was still reeling from her lucky escape, and from the Emperor's words. _That is not what you will be remembered for,_ he had told her. What _would_ she be remembered for then?

K'Lali had always taken a stoic stance in everything she did in life. It wasn't that she was uncertain of what to do, nor was it the way she was taught. That's just the way she was; she was a silent hunter of the night and she lived by her own rules. Other things just didn't bother her.

Now this emperor-_Uriel Septim_ of all people-was imposing a fate upon her. Every fiber of her being was screaming against this decision, to follow this man who was invoking the will of the Gods as the reason of their meeting. However, somewhere in her heart, K'Lali couldn't help but follow. Something told her that she would want to see how this played out.

As they stepped into the next beam of light, the Blades suddenly drew their swords. "Protect the emperor!" the lady leader ordered her comrades.

K'Lali turned the corner and saw the attackers. Assassins dressed in red, covered in head to toe with silver armor. They lashed out with glowing daggers. The captain struck out with her katana, slaying the first one. To K'Lali's surprise, the armor and weapon suddenly disintegrated into red mist as the attacker fell. He was left wearing only a red cloak and hood.

"Summoned," the Emperor explained. He had stayed back by K'Lali, his sword also drawn. "Bound armor and weapons."

K'Lali couldn't imagine risking traveling around without a weapon as the assassins apparently did. Even now, K'Lali felt naked, with few ways to defend herself should the Blades fall and the assassins target her next. Even the Emperor was armed; she was not.

After a fierce battle, another assassin fell. The last one, desperate now that her comrades were dead, struck viciously at the Blades' captain. The captain was clipped in the shoulder and, staggering, stabbed in the chest. The Imperial Blade, Glenroy, dispatched the last assassin as the Redguard, Baurus, checked their fallen captain.

Baurus got up and approached Uriel. "Are you alright, sire? We're clear for now."

"Captain Renault?" the Emperor inquired.

Baurus sighed sadly. "She's dead. I'm sorry, sire, but we have to keep moving."

The remaining two Blades escorted the Emperor onward, down another set of stairs.

"How could they be waiting for us here?" Glenroy exclaimed angrily.

"Don't know," Baurus replied, clearly worried. "But it's too late to go back now. Don't worry sire, we'll get you out of here."

Glenroy gritted his teeth. "They won't be the first to underestimate the Blades." He quickly unlocked another gate standing in their way. "I'll take point. Let's move."

K'Lali moved to go after, but Baurus blocked her way. "You stay here prisoner. Don't try to follow us." Then he closed the gate behind him and moved out of sight.

K'Lali was thankful to be left in solitude once again. She wanted to be out of the presence of that emperor, who seemed to unnerve her a bit. Though as she pondered alone, she realized she was now trapped here. Her escape had been foiled. K'Lali surveyed the room, but found no other exits other than the barred one and the one from whence she came.

A scratching noise came from the wall. What had Valen said about rats? Of course, he was just an annoying fool, trying to mess with her, but were there rats milling about as he had said?

K'Lali shrugged it off, and went to study the bodies of the assassins. Indeed, they had no trace of weapon nor armor on their person, though the ones they had been grappling with were very real. They had defeated Captain Renault, whose body was just a short way off. She lie on the cold stone steps, eyes lifeless, but face still holding the stern expression she had held in life.

K'Lali's sharp eyes spotted a glinting weapon on the floor. It was the katana Renault had used. It's blade was more curved than most swords, giving it an almost elegant look. K'Lali picked it up, studying it interestedly, feeling it's deceptively light weight in her hands. It was a good sword to have by your side, K'Lali thought, it was quick, sharp and deadly.

The scratching noise interrupted K'Lali's thoughts once again, whose sensitive ears became alert once again. There was something coming she knew it…

A wall came tumbling apart. Two giant rats scampered out from behind, nasty teeth bared. One lunged at K'Lali, gnawing at her arm. K'Lali swatted it away and, gripping Renault's katana in her left hand, stabbed the foul rodent. The other lunged as well, but she swatted it aside as easily as the first with her sword.

K'Lali panted from the sudden attack. So there _were_ rats down here. K'Lali nudged one of their lifeless bodies with her foot. It tumbled over harmlessly. Nasty creatures…K'Lali looked up again at the hole in the wall.

Well…at least they had provided her with an alternate escape route. K'Lali ducked inside.

On the other side of the wall was a dark, low-ceilinged area with a dirt floor. Mangled skeletons lie dust-covered and scattered about the room, still clutching their weapons. A dried-up well stood in the center of the room, evidence that this cavern must've, at some point, been inhabited.

K'Lali crept across the room; her eyes tuned perfectly to see in the dark. She spotted a door on the other side and approached it. She was surprised to see a gnarly green goblin laying just beside the door, dead.

A search of the goblin and she discovered the key. Maybe Baurus was right-this _was _her lucky day. The goblin must have come in some way which meant there was another way out of the cavern. If only she could find it and get out, then she would never have to hear that emperor's silly prophecies ever again.

With this hope in mind, K'Lali stepped through the door and continued through another low-ceilinged room. Her ears flicked up in alertness when she heard the sounds of battle in the passage ahead.

Several rats scurried around the corner fleeing from a humanoid figure. K'Lali at first thought it might be a goblin, but this was far worse.

A zombie, attacking the rats. It's decaying flesh reeked of death, it emitted gurgling, moaning sounds from it's rotten mouth. It was missing an arm and maggots had obviously relieved it of it's skin from that area. Some of his ribs were exposed.

The rats fought valiantly against it but they were no match. It swatted them down with it's single arm just as easily as K'Lali had earlier.

With the rats down, the zombie focused on K'Lali as a target. K'Lali frantically sliced at the flesh, amazed as it fell easily apart. Soon the zombie could no longer continue.

After that nasty surprise, K'Lali continued down the passage, now at a more hurried pace. She passed through misty light from the passage above that the emperor was surely taking. She encountered a few more rats, but no more zombies, and no goblins….until….

Quietly, carefully, she snuck up on a figure ahead. Sitting on a crate tending his fire was a goblin. He wore a ram skull over his head like a helmet, and his green, emaciated body bent low over his work. Other than the skull, he wore only a loin cloth.

K'Lali silently stabbed him from behind. The creature let out a bloodcurdling screech, but otherwise put up little fight.

K'Lali saw that the goblin had been roasting a rat over his fire. The rank smell of the roasted rat smelled delicious to K'Lali's empty stomach. Only just realizing how hungry she was, she grabbed the rat and her sharp teeth tore into it. She hated falling into Valen's stereotype, but she was too hungry to care much about pride at the moment.

Fully satisfied, she continued delving into the natural caverns. She met a few more goblins, but they seemed to have the habit of falling into their own traps. One set off a trip wire, causing huge maces to swing from the ceiling and crash into him. K'Lali set a pile of logs rolling downhill to crush a pair of goblin archers.

Finally, K'Lali discovered the goblins' home. A large cavern held a pit full of rats in the middle; apparently the goblins had been farming them. Their intelligence surprised K'Lali, but she quickly became unimpressed once again as she spotted a few goblins gathered around a fire pit, inadvertently burning themselves by reaching into the flames.

She crept up on the group, intending to slay them, when a pain suddenly bit into K'Lali's shoulder.

Roaring in pain, she realized another goblin had been behind her. He screeched before taking a lethal blow to the face. Too late: the other goblins saw the skirmish and ran to it, brandishing axes.

K'Lali clumsily fought off the enemies' attacks. She thought she was done for, when suddenly, a lightning attack slammed one of the goblins into the center pit. A goblin witch had joined the fray, haphazardly shooting staff attacks at the fighting group. With some maneuvering, K'Lali allowed the witch to do some of the work for her. He aim for her and more often hit his companions. Soon, he was the remaining goblin.

The goblin witch rapid-fired his spell, but the nimble Khajiit dodged most of them. It was all she could do to leap in and out of the line of fire. K'Lali decided she better fight fire with… well, fire. She quickly shot a Flare spell at the witch. The goblin witch's robes caught fire. Now distracted, K'Lali was able to approach it and deal the final blow. The goblin flopped over, dead, his staff falling into the rat farm below.

A dirty, tired K'Lali continued through the caverns, eventually coming to a doorway that led back into the familiar stone passageway she had come from. She must've circumvented the gate the Blades had left her behind.

Leaping down, she slunk along the stone floor, spotting the main pathway below. She was just about to leap down to it when she detected voices coming down the path.

"….defensible spot and protect the Emperor until help arrives," said one voice, unmistakably Glenroy's.

"Help?" exclaimed Baurus's voice, "What makes you think help will get here before more of those bastards? We need to get the Emperor out of here-"

He was interrupted by a fresh wave of assassins, summoning their armor out of a cloud of red smoke. Baurus and Glenroy quickly flung themselves into action, staving of the attack and drawing the fight away from the Emperor. They clearly outmatched the assassins in terms of combat skill; K'Lali was amazed at the Blades' superior skill with a blade. They swung the sword in just the right spots, hitting the enemy's weak points while blocking every attempt at a counterattack, everything done in a blur of precision and power. Not at all like K'Lali's clumsy slashes with Renault's katana. In no time, the assassins were finished off.

"I think that was all of them," Glenroy announced. "Let me look around." Silence followed Glenroy's footsteps a short distance away.

"Have you seen the prisoner?" asked the Emperor's calm voice.

Asking about K'Lali again? She crept closer to the scene, now able to see the Emperor conversing with Baurus.

"Do you think she followed us? How could she?" Baurus said.

K'Lali couldn't help but smile. Here she was, right on the heels of the Blades and they didn't suspect a thing. She couldn't pass this opportunity up…

She leaped out into the light, braids flying behind her, landing swiftly in a crouch in front of Baurus and Glenroy. Glenroy became alarmed and drew his sword.

"Dammit, it's that prisoner again!" he exclaimed, "Kill her, she might be working with the assassins."

K'Lali slowly rose from her crouch, ready for an attack.

The Emperor put a calming hand on Glenroy's shoulder. "No, she is not one of them. She can help us. She must help us."

"As you wish, sire," Glenroy resigned.

K'Lali's ears flattened against her head in displeasure. The Emperor was going on about her fate again. The old man approached her and spoke with her.

"They cannot understand why I trust you. They've not seen what I've seen."

K'Lali's eyes narrowed. What was it about the Emperor that made her want to trust him, against all of her instincts?

The Emperor shook his head. "How can I explain?" he pondered.

K'Lali watched him as he mused. He looked back up at her.

"Listen. You know the Nine? How they guide our fates with an invisible hand?"

The Nine Divine? The Gods her entire lifestyle went against? K'Lali was sure they would never choose her as any sort of important part of the Emperor's fate. Akatosh himself would probably choose that goblin witch before he chose K'Lali.

"Hmph," she responded, "I'm not on good terms with the Gods."

The Emperor put a reassuring hand on K'Lali's shoulder, a small smile on his face.

"I've served the Nine all my days, and I chart my course by the cycle of the heavens. The skies are marked with numberless sparks, each a fire, and every one a sign. I know these stars well and I wonder…which sign marked your birth?"

K'Lali crossed her arms, almost daring the Emperor to laugh as she told him her sign. "The Lady," she said, slightly disgruntled.

To K'Lali's surprise, the Emperor only smiled and nodded.

"The signs I read show the end of my path. My death, a necessary end, will come when it will come," his expression saddened a little as he spoke. K'Lali could not help but feel a little sorry for a man who knew he was doomed to die.

"What about me?" K'Lali asked quietly.

The Emperor's small smile returned. "Your stars are not mine. Today the Lady shall fortify you in your quest for glory."

The Emperor was, K'Lali noticed, once again using words that connected them to a much grander scheme of things than just they two. Words like "quest" "fate" and "glory" reminded K'Lali of the stories she heard as a kitten of the great heroes of old: the Champions and the Nerevarine and the stuff of Elder Scrolls. Though none of those heroes faced death as willingly as the Emperor did now. K'Lali would never forfeit her life that easily.

"But….Aren't _you_ afraid to die?" she asked quietly.

"No trophies of my triumphs precede me. But I have lived well and my ghost shall rest easy," he reflected sagely. "Men are but flesh and blood. They know their doom, but not the hour. In this, I am blessed to see the hour of my death…to face my apportioned fate, then fall."

K'Lali thought long and hard. She supposed "fate" could also just be another word for "death." Did, perhaps, the Emperor know of K'Lali's "fate"?

She voiced her question. The Emperor sighed. "My dreams grant me no opinion of success. Their compass ventures not beyond the doors of death."

So K'Lali might be right-she could be walking right to her doom.

"But," he continued, "in your face, I behold the sun's companion. The dawn of Akatosh's bright glory may banish the coming darkness."

"So there's hope?" K'Lali asked.

"Yes," Uriel confirmed, "With such hope, and with the promise of your aid, my heart must be satisfied."

K'Lali straightened. She wasn't sure what was going on, but for whatever reason strong feelings of righteousness began to well up within her. For the first time in a long, long time, she wanted to help someone else. Not the citizens of Tamriel, no, she could care less about them. She wanted to help Uriel Septim.

"Where are we going?" she asked importantly.

"I go to my grave. A tongue shriller than all the music calls me," Uriel explained. "You shall follow me yet for a while, then we must part."

At this point, a worried Glenroy spurred the Emperor forward. Baurus came up to K'Lali.

"You may as well make yourself useful," Baurus told her, handing her a torch, "Carry this torch and stick close."

As K'Lali lit her torch (though she saw little need for it-she could see quite well in the dark), the group headed through the next doorway.

"So, Baurus," K'Lali began, "What exactly do the Blades _do?_"

"We're the Emperor's body guards. Our job is to get him out of situations like this," Baurus explained shortly, "Although I admit, things are not going according to plan."

K'Lali couldn't help but chuckle at Baurus' annoyed tone. Baurus tried to appear angry, but could only smirk. "You've got an awfully dry sense of humor, you know that?" he chuckled at K'Lali.

The group delved further into the path, Glenroy at the lead, the Emperor guarded in the center, Baurus guarding his rear and K'Lali bringing up the rear and lighting the way ahead. Three more times the party was attacked; three more times the two Blades slayed the red-robed summoners. K'Lali could do nothing but stick close to the Emperor, hoping to defend him if she had to.

Glenroy apprehensively approached a long stairwell. "Hold on," he commanded, holding up a hand to halt the others. "I don't like this. Let me take a look." He cautiously descended the stairs. Surveying the landing for a few seconds, he deemed it safe.

"Okay," he affirmed, "It's clear. The path will lead us straight to the sewers." He indicated a gate to their right. The party followed as he approached it.

Glenroy looked confusedly at the gate. He checked his key ring once again for the appropriate key then, finding none, jiggled the bars of the gate frustrated.

"Dammit!" he exclaimed with one final kick, "It's barred from the other side. A trap!"

Baurus glanced behind them. "What about that side passage over there?" he pointed.

Glenroy looked disgruntled; apparently things not going according to plan was bothering him more than it was Baurus. "Worth a try. Let's go!"

They all drew their blades, escorting the Emperor down the side path. K'Lali felt especially on-edge; though her keen senses told her nothing was amiss, she still felt otherwise. The narrow passage felt like it was closing in. The shadows flitted around the walls menacingly in the torch light, almost licking at their prey.

"It's a dead end," Baurus stated the obvious. The group surveyed the hall, which was lined with window-like stone alcoves. "What's your call, sir?"

But there was no time for Glenroy to think. The assassins materialized in the other room.

"They're behind us! Wait here, sire," Glenroy added, rushing headlong into battle.

"Wait here with the Emperor," Baurus told K'Lali quickly, "Guard him with your life." The Redguard gave her a meaningful look before following his fellow Blade member.

K'Lali stood closer to the Emperor than ever, muscles tense, eyes on the battle outside. She paid no mind to any of this "fate" business, but more than ever she felt she _should_ protect the Emperor, that it was her _duty_ even. Her instincts, strangely enough, told her so-and her instincts had served her well thus far.

But the Emperor had other ideas.

"I can go no further. You alone must stand against the Prince of Destruction and his mortal servants," He removed the red amulet from his neck and pressed it into K'Lali's palm. He gave her a determined look. "He must not have the Amulet of Kings!"

K'Lali looked at him, confused. "I…but…No! I'm getting you out of here!" she growled.

Uriel shook his head, still giving her that intense expression. "Take the Amulet. Give it to Jauffre. He alone knows where to find my last son."

After grasping K'Lali's hand, he let go of the Amulet of Kings and stepped back.

"Find him, and close shut the jaws of Oblivion!"


	3. Weynon Priory

From out of one of the alcoves, an assassin emerged. There was no time to think, no time to move. Even with K'Lali's hair-trigger reflexes, she was powerless to stop him. The man slashed at the Emperor.

Emperor Uriel Septim was slain, right before K'Lali's eyes.

She had no time to let that sink in. After his deed was done, the killer set his sights on K'Lali. She reacted quickly, barely pulling Renault's sword in front of her in time to block a heavy blow. The killer continued his flurry of attacks, slamming the sword again and again. K'Lali's left hand was going numb…

Baurus swept in and jabbed the killer through the heart. The killer had just enough time to yelp before the life left him.

K'Lali stood frozen to the spot. The Emperor was right…it was his fate to die on this day.

Panting, Baurus looked around for the source of K'Lali's concern. With a pained expression, his eyes fell on the Emperor's body.

"We've failed…" Baurus realized with increasing pain in his voice. "_I've_ failed. The Blades are sworn to protect the Emperor and now he and all his heirs are dead…"

He rummaged around the Emperor's body, fixing it so it just appeared he was lying in a peaceful sleep.

"The Amulet!" Baurus exclaimed, "Where's the Amulet of Kings? It wasn't on the Emperor's body!"

K'Lali slowly opened her clenched hand to show him. "The Emperor gave it…to me…" she told him, amazed.

Baurus looked at the Amulet, troubled. "Strange. He saw something in you. Trusted you. They say it's the Dragon Blood that flows through the veins of every Septim. They see more than lesser men…"

K'Lali tried to respond, but from her stupor, she could only work her silent jaw.

"The Amulet of Kings is a sacred symbol of the Empire," Baurus explained, "Most people think of the Red Dragon Crown, but that's just jewelry…The Amulet has power. Only a true heir of the Blood can wear it, they say. He must've given to for a reason. Did he say why?"

"I must take it to Jauffre," K'Lali managed.

"Jauffre? He said that? Why?"

"There is another heir," K'Lali told him urgently.

"Nothing I ever heard about, but Jauffre would be the one to know. He's the Grandmaster of my order," he told K'Lali with enthusiasm. He seemed to have perked up at this small spark of hope. Maybe he hadn't failed completely. "Although you may not think so to meet him. He lives quietly as a monk at Weynon Priory, near Chorrol."

With Baurus' newfound hope, K'Lali, too, managed to perk up. "How do I get there?"

"First you need to get out of here," he looked around the room, "Through that door must be the entrance to the sewers, past the locked gate. That's where we were heading. It's a secret way out of the Imperial City. Or…it was supposed to be secret. Here, take the key." He took out Glenroy's key ring and removed the appropriate key, an old rusty black key.

"Anything else I need to know?" K'Lali asked, clutching the key, the Amulet and the sword against her breast. These were now her most valuable possessions.

Baurus shrugged. "There are rats and goblins…but from what I've seen of you, I'm guessing you're an experienced Nightblade. Am I right?" He lifted his eyebrows.

K'Lali laughed. "Something like that, yes."

Baurus pounded her on the back. "It should be no trouble for you." He grabbed K'Lali's shoulders and became more serious. "After the sewers, you must go straight to Jauffre. Take no chances, proceed to Weynon Priory immediately. Got it?"

K'Lali nodded and returned his serious stare. "Yes, I understand."

Baurus loosened, and patted her on the back again. "Good. The Emperor's trust was well-placed."

"What about you?" K'Lali asked, "Will you accompany me to Weynon Priory?"

Baurus gazed sadly at the "sleeping" Emperor. "I'll stay here and guard the Emperor's body, and make sure no one follows you. You'd better get moving."

K'Lali turned to leave, but Baurus caught her again.

"By the way, thanks for recovering Captain Renault's sword. I'll see that it's given a place of honor in the hall of the Blades."

K'Lali was reluctant to give up the elegant weapon, and the exchange ended in Baurus wrenching it from her grasp.

"May Talos guide you," he bid K'Lali farewell.

K'Lali nodded her goodbye, and rushed into down the passage into the sewer grate.

* * *

><p>Bright, glaring sun shined on the sewer grate K'Lali had just climbed out of. K'Lali blinked in the sunlight, seeming so bright to her eyes after her adventure in the dark caverns. A light breeze caused the grass to sway gently, and the perfect surface of the water sparkled. K'Lali took a deep breath, taking in all the fresh smells that had replaced the icky, stale smell of the sewers.<p>

Her refuge from the sewers was short-lived, for now she turned west, knowing she had a much larger task ahead of her. She took her first step on a journey to Weynon Priory.

Brother Jauffre sat in the quiet of midday, busying himself with some paperwork he had put off. The lodge was rather calm; Brother Piner was taking a nap, Prior Maborel was caring for his horse at the stables and Eronor was tending to the gardens. Only the scratching of his quill could be heard, and the sun shone fondly through the windows. Yes, another peaceful day in the Priory.

It almost made Jauffre miss the days when he was on the front lines with the Blades. Always on the alert, never a moment's rest, constant action. It was a thrilling and honorable lifestyle. _Now_, Jauffre thought, _I'm probably too old for that._

He set his quill down for a moment and listened to the soothing sounds of the bird songs outside. Many days he sat in this chair, listening for a traveling Blade to come along and disrupt the normal calm, if only for a moment. Jauffre was eager to help the Blades however he could.

Now, suddenly, he could hear talking: Eronor, no doubt, chattering to a passing traveler. Any excitement, in Eronor's mind, was good excitement. The rambunctious Dark Elf talked for a full minute before quieting down again.

Jauffre was just about to return to his paperwork when he heard the door downstairs open. _Perhaps Prior Maborel's returned…_ Jauffre thought, scratching on his parchment.

Steps pounded up the stairs and signaled the entrance of a bedraggled Khajiit. She was very dirty and had long, tangled braids tied back with a headband. She appeared to be some sort of prisoner, judging by her clothes, which might be better described as grimy rags.

Jauffre stared at her, perplexed. "Are you Jauffre?" she asked abruptly.

"I'm Brother Jauffre. What do you want?" he responded with skepticism.

Her green eyes looked at him urgently. "The Emperor sent me to find you."

The Emperor: the only thing that had been worrying Jauffre these days. His assassination was grave news indeed, and Jauffre felt he should have done something, should have been there with him. "Emperor Uriel? You know something of his death?"

The Khajiit nodded. "I was there when he died."

Jauffre was getting angry. Was this her idea of a practical joke? This _prisoner_ claims to have been with the Emperor in his last moments, a position Jauffre would've given his life for? Ridiculous! "You'd better explain yourself. Now." he ordered her crossly.

The prisoner began rummaging through her grubby pockets. "The Emperor sent me to find you," she repeated, "He gave me the Amulet of Kings."

"The Amulet of Kings? Impossible. Only the Emperor-"

Jauffre was suddenly cut off. The Khajiit held in front of him a glimmering red diamond-shaped amulet: the one and only Amulet of Kings. Jauffre quickly grabbed the Amulet. "By the Nine!" he exclaimed upon closer inspection. "It _is _the Amulet of Kings! Who are you? How did you get this? What do you know about the Emperor's death?"

The Khajiit quickly explained her story, to which Jauffre listened to patiently. Her name was K'Lali, and she was an escaped prisoner. She had been with the Emperor as he was trying to escape. The Emperor trusted her, he had seen her in a dream…

Jauffre listened thoughtfully as K'Lali finished her tale. It was such a far-fetched story and yet everything seemed to fit…

"As unlikely as your story sound, I believe you," he said, "Only the strange destiny of Uriel Septim could have brought you to me carrying the Amulet of Kings."

K'Lali's ears perked up at his acceptance, but her expression remained otherwise stoic. She gazed out the window.

"What exactly did the Emperor mean by 'close shut the jaws of Oblivion'?" she asked.

"His meaning is unclear to me as well. The Emperor seemed to perceive some threat from the demonic world of Oblivion," Jauffre answered.

"And the Prince of Destruction…?"

"None other than Mehrunes Dagon, one of the lords of Oblivion. But all the scholars agree that the mortal world is protected from the daedra by magical barriers," Jauffre mused.

"How can Oblivion threaten us, then?"

"It may be that the Dragonfires protected us from a threat that only the Emperor was aware of," Jauffre concluded, "You see, when the Emperor is crowned, he lights the Dragonfires in the Temple of the One. With the Emperor dead and no new heir crowned, the Dragonfires will be dark, for the first time in centuries."

K'Lali growled. "You mean to tell me, you don't _know _what the Amulet of Kings does?"

"I'm not sure. Only the Emperors truly understand the meaning behind the rituals of coronation. The Amulet of Kings is ancient. Saint Alessia herself received it from the gods."

Jauffre looked back at his visitor. She seemed to be gnashing her teeth in frustration, still staring out the window. Then she turned her gaze back to Jauffre.

"The Emperor asked me to find his son. Is there another heir?" she queried. She appeared on edge for his answer.

Jauffre took a deep breath before answering. "Yes," he answered at last. K'Lali relaxed a bit. "I am one of the few who know of his existence. Many years ago, I served as captain of Uriel's bodyguards, the Blades. One night Uriel called me in to his private chambers. A baby boy lay sleeping in a basket. Uriel told me to deliver him somewhere safe. He never told me anything else about the baby, but I knew it was his son. From time to time he would ask about the child's progress."

"Now it seems this illegitimate son is heir to the Septim Throne," K'Lali contemplated. A grim expression suddenly occupied her face. "…If he yet lives."

Jauffre looked away. He didn't want to think about what would happen if Tamriel's only hope had already been dashed away.

"Brother Jauffre," K'Lali said. Jauffre looked back at the Khajiit, surprised to see a look of brave determination on her face. "I _will_ get the heir back safely. Just tell me where to find him."

Jauffre nodded, feeling a bit better. "His name is Martin. He serves Akatosh in the Chapel in the city of Kvatch, south of here. Go to Kvatch and find him at once. If the enemy is aware of his existence, as seems likely, he is in terrible danger. And please, let me know if there's anything you need. My resources here are limited, but I will help in any way I can."

K'Lali turned to leave, but halted, looking at her clothes. "You don't happen to have any armor, do you?"

Jauffre chuckled and rose from his seat. He unlocked a worn-looking chest by a book shelf. "Here, I keep some things in this chest to re-supply traveling Blades. Take what you need."

K'Lali opened the chest and began to rummage through it's contents. It had several pieces of iron armor, which K'Lali pushed aside. It also contained some bubbling healing potions and a few long swords. K'Lali grabbed a sword and pried a thin piece of armor from the bottom.

"Leather armor?" Jauffre noted.

"I like to keep light on my feet," K'Lali said. She pulled on the armor, already looking much cleaner out of her prison clothes. "I'll find Martin," she reassured.

"Somehow…I know you will," Jauffre replied.

Jauffre heard K'Lali shut the door behind her, and the Priory lodge returned to it's normal quiet. Jauffre sat back at his desk. How strange that the day that Jauffre wished he had the chance for action, action would come seeking him out. He looked out the window, watching K'Lali get caught once again in conversation with Eronor.

_It seems fate has got it in for me,_ Brother Jauffre thought fondly.


	4. Kvatch

"Just who are you again?" Prior Maborel asked for the third time, clutching the reins of his Paint Horse.

K'Lali sighed. "I told you, I'm K'Lali, and Brother Jauffre has sent me to find the last heir to the Septim throne!"

K'Lali had to admit, the concept sounded silly each time it came from her mouth. Never in her wildest dreams would she have expected to be running quests for people she barely knew. What did she care if there was some threat from Oblivion? Let the higher-ups take care of it…

_No,_ she scolded herself, _the Emperor asked you to do this. He trusted you. All you have to do is retrieve his son. It's not hard._

"I still don't think I should let you borrow my horse, based on word alone," Prior Maborel stated.

K'Lali ran a hand through her braids. _It's just this _idiot_ who's making things difficult._

"I'm doing this for Brother Jauffre," K'Lali insisted.

"Are you a Blade?"

"…Well, no but-"

"Then I see no reason to trust you."

K'Lali stamped her foot in frustration. How could she make this fool see how important this was?

"Oh, there you are Prior Maborel," greeted another monk, approaching the arguing pair.

"Brother Piner. How goes it?" said Maborel.

"Oh! And you must K'Lali," Piner realized, regarding the Khajiit. "Brother Jauffre's just told me about you. Here, I have this book. I hope you find it useful."

"Er, thank you," K'Lali said, taking from him a heavy book with the title _The Warp in the West_ etched in gold letters across the worn cover.

"Good luck finding the heir!" chirped Brother Piner, "Farewell, Prior Maborel." The monk left, whistling a merry tune.

Prior Maborel glowered. He was twisting the reins in his hands. "Here's the damn horse," he said, offering the reins to K'Lali.

"Thank you Prior Maborel," she said. She mounted the horse and cantered down the road, headed south to Kvatch.

* * *

><p>K'Lali trotted down the road on Prior Maborel's horse in the late evening. The red of sunset was fading from the sky and stars were beginning to twinkle into view. K'Lali slowed for a moment to enjoy the cool evening breeze.<p>

Suddenly, an Altmer came sprinting down the path, his tall face contorted with worry.

"Whoa," K'Lali called to him, dismounting, "What's the rush-"

"Come on! Run while there's still time! The Guard holds the road, but it's only a matter of time before they're overwhelmed."

"Overwhelmed? By what?"

"God's blood!" the Altmer exclaimed nervously, "You don't know, do you?"

K'Lali bared her fangs. "Just tell me what's happened here!"

"Daedra overran Kvatch last night! Gates to Oblivion itself!"

K'Lali faltered. The Emperor's words echoed in her mind…_Close shut the jaws-_

"Oblivion I tell you! And then a huge creature came out, blasting fire!" the High Elf was in hysterics now. His eyes darted around, looking at the sky anxiously. "They all swarmed around it killing…"

"Kvatch is in ruins?" K'Lali asked again, unable to believe the anxious Altmer.

"YES!" the elf screamed. He seemed on the verge of tears. "We're all that's left, do you understand me?"

"How'd you escape?"

"It was Savlian Matius…some of the other guards…they cut their way out, right through the gate. Savlian says they can hold the road…no! I don't believe him! Nothing can stop them! If you'd seen it you'd know!"

The elf made a mad dash past K'Lali, sprinting down the road. "Run while you still can!" he continued to shout. He shouts echoed eerily through the forest.

K'Lali continued down the road; sure enough, as the High Elf had said, refugees had set up tents along the road. Some wore tattered, smoking clothing, some were huddled on the ground, crying. Others tried to comfort them, and still others busied themselves with cooking or cleaning, with grim expressions on their face. From what K'Lali could see, there was only a handful of citizens remained.

K'Lali looked up the winding road leading to Kvatch. Ominous black smoke billowed from the top of the hill. Martin could still be in there…

K'Lali searched around and approached a Redguard woman, sitting in front of the dim fire.

"Do you know where Martin is?" K'Lali asked bluntly.

The Redguard woman looked up. She had soot on her dark face, and her brown, watery eyes looked at K'Lali sadly. "You mean Brother Martin? I think he gathered some survivors in the Chapel. He might still be alive…"

K'Lali nodded and rushed towards the road to Kvatch.

"Who was that?" asked the Redguard woman to her Argonian companion.

The Argonian woman looked at K'Lali thoughtfully. "No idea."

K'Lali jogged up the road, passing a downfallen priest. He held a torch and muttered to himself sadly, "Where is our protection? Where are our gods?…"

K'Lali turned her head away from the priest. She couldn't stand to be in the presence of these people; lost people completely void of hope.

_There _is_ hope,_ K'Lali told herself, _I just have to find Martin._

As K'Lali climbed the sloping path, she couldn't help but notice a change in the sky. The stars faded away, and the heavens became alive with a blood-red light. The wind had picked up, too. Gales now battered the Khajiit and thunder rumbled all around. K'Lali could think of only one word to describe it: apocalyptic.

As she reached the crest of the hill, she finally saw it: a huge, glowing portal blocking the city gate. A few guards stood at the ready twenty feet away from it. They had set up a wooden barricade to waylay the attacks, but their feeble attempt seemed pointless next to the fiery portal. As she watched, she saw several small daedra pour out. They were scamps, short brown daedra with snarling teeth and pointy ears. From their claws, they shot fireballs, screeching at the guards. One guard fell, his body ablaze. The remaining three guards dispatched the scamps with arrows.

K'Lali, against her better judgment, came closer to the gate.

"Stand back, citizen!" One of the guards ordered. He appeared to be in charge. "Go back to the encampment with the other survivors! We'll hold the road!"

The guard had a military style buzz cut. He held his bloody sword at the ready. The cuirass he wore was white and bore a wolf face as it's crest. He glared angrily at K'Lali.

"Come on! Out of the way!" he ordered again, more angrily.

"What happened here?" K'Lali asked, gazing at the gate once more.

"We lost the damned city, that's what happened! It was too much, too fast. We were overwhelmed. Couldn't even get everyone out. There are still people trapped in there," he glanced, frustrated, at the gate. "Some made it into the Chapel, but others were just run down in the streets. The Count and his men are still holed up in the castle and now we can't even get back into the city to help them, with that damned Oblivion Gate blocking the way!"

K'Lali's cat ears flattened against her head. "What will you do?"

"The only thing we can do. We'll try to hold our ground, that's what," he turned back to his men just another few scamps climbed out of the portal. "Now get out of here, this is no place for a citizen!"

* * *

><p>The guards charged forward, their captain, Savlian Matius, at the lead. They cut down two scamps, but another two came from the portal to take their place. Savlian slashed at one and it angrily ripped at Savlian's cuirass. Savlian lost his balance and toppled over. Two scamps swarmed around him, tearing at his armor, trying to get at his flesh. He tried to fight them off, holding up his shield, but soon grew too weak. The scamps pounded at his limbs-<p>

A scamp squealed as it's head was lopped off. The other scamp was momentarily distracted, and Savlian used this chance to spear the scamp with his sword. Savlian was helped to his feet by his savior.

"Thanks," he grunted.

"Don't mention it," a female voice replied.

Savlian looked up, surprised to see it was the Khajiit citizen who had assisted him. "You-"

"Do you need any help?" the Khajiit asked. "I've got some combat experience."

Savlian chuckled in spite of himself. "You want to help? You're kidding, right?"

The Khajiit woman hissed angrily at the captain.

"Alright, alright! If you're serious, I could definitely use your help," Savlian surveyed the Khajiit before looking back at the gate. "It'll likely mean your death though."

"K'Lali does not run away from death!"

"Okay, _K'Lali,_ I need that Oblivion gate closed. While it still stands, I don't dare leave the camp undefended. Are you willing to try and close it?"

"I suppose. How?"

The captain scrunched his face in thought. "I don't know. But it must be possible because the enemy closed the ones they opened during the initial attack."

Merandil, another guard, nodded pointing at massive red spines that stuck up out of the ground. "You can still see the marks, with the Great Gate right in the middle," he added.

"D'you think the others are still alive in there, Captain?" the last guard, Jesan Rilian, asked.

"I don't know," Savlian answered, "all we can do is send K'Lali in." He faced the Khajiit again. "All I can say is…good luck. It's a brave thing you're doing."

K'Lali nodded and stepped around the barricade, walking in measured steps towards the glaring Oblivion Gate. She looked up at it, braids flowing behind her in the rough wind, then proceeded directly into the red portal.

"Good luck!" Savlian called again.

She looked back one last time, eyes glinting, as if she knew something Savlian didn't. Then she disappeared into the portal.

Merandil shook his head. "That cat is crazy."

Savlian grunted in agreement. "Brave, though. Crazy, but brave."


	5. On Oblivion

If K'Lali thought the gate itself was menacing, it was nothing compared to the interior. The intensity of the blood-red sky was matched only by the boiling hot lava that occupied most of the landscape. The rocky terrain was filled with ruined bridges and buildings, like a post-apocalyptic world. The few plants here and there were either a bloody red or spewed poisonous green gas.

In front of K'Lali a bridge, still intact, spread. The end was blocked by a war gate, and scamps speckled the land between K'Lali and the gate.

The scamps seemed to have realized a mortal was present, because they scampered towards K'Lali, claws bared. With a war-cry, K'Lali unsheathed her sword and hacked at the pair of scamps. One fell without a fight, and the other only managed to lash out a few more times before getting stabbed repeatedly.

_These daedra aren't so tough_, thought K'Lali. She had maintained an appearance of cool confidence in front of Savlian, but her act had dissolved when she entered the plane of Oblivion. She was now trembling on the outside as well as the inside.

K'Lali's sharp ears picked up the noises of a battle nearby. To the left of the bridge, several more scamps were attacking a figure. Upon closer inspection, K'Lali realized it was a _guard._ A Kvatch guard had survived the hordes of daedra and was now scraping with two scamps, fighting for his life. K'Lali rushed to his side to help.

With one last cry, the guard slayed a scamp. As the other ascended on him, K'Lali chopped off it's tail. With a screech, the scamp turned to attack K'Lali instead. In it's haste, it ran itself through on K'Lali's outstretched sword. K'Lali kicked the dead scamp off with disgust.

"Thank the Nine! I thought I'd never see a friendly face again," the guard exclaimed with relief.

His messy brown hair was caked with dried blood and he was trembling worse than K'Lali, who immediately put on a brave face. The scared expression the soldier wore told K'Lali that he had all but given up on escaping this hellish world.

"Where are the other guards?"

The guard's lip quivered as he opened his mouth to speak. "The others….taken…they were taken to the tower. I think Menian is still alive!"

"The tower?" K'Lali looked up. In the distance, she could see the silhouettes of several towers against the bloody sky, reaching up like massive clawed hands. The one in the center was larger than the others and had a thin window glowing yellow at the top.

"You have to save Menian!" the guard pleaded. "I'm getting out of here."

K'Lali looked back at the guard; he was a broken man, barely able to stand due to his shaking legs.

"Yes, go back. Savlian could use your help."

"The Captain's still holding the barricade?" the guard marveled, "I thought I was the only one left alive!"

The guard stepped toward the gate with newfound determination. "I'll get out of here and let Captain Matius know what's going on!" With that, he marched to the exit and out of sight.

K'Lali tread carefully forward, further into Oblivion. The thunder pounded through the air, more powerful than before. She kept glancing up at the large tower, making sure she was headed towards it. Crossing a ruined bridge, she defeated two more scamps. So far, all her foes had been scamps and she easily cut through them. _This can't be all the opposition Dagon has to offer…_ K'Lali pondered. K'Lali thought her job would be easy if this was all the Prince of Destruction could offer as a challenge: a bunch of bedraggled scamps.

She turned a corner, dodging some flailing plants. That's when she encountered her first Dremora.

It was clad in a red-tinged armor, lined with decorative spines: Daedric armor. It's body was mostly humanoid, except for it's rusty red skin and two horns protruding from it's head. It wielded a mace and bared pointed teeth from it's distorted face. Behind it, a door marked with a gleaming daedric symbol pulsated. It was clearly the entrance to the tower; this demon was standing between K'Lali and her goal.

K'Lali couldn't have that. Nobody stood between her and her goal.

With a primal snarl, K'Lali launched herself towards the Dremora, running on all fours. The Dremora gave a roar as well, readying it's mace. K'Lali was almost upon it, then, with a quick movement of her left hand, she drew her sword and sliced him in the face. A nasty cut appeared on his face as he cried out in pain.

He retaliated with his mace, K'Lali only just dodging. She avoided the Dremora's attacks twice more, until she was finally able to block with her sword. The two stood glaring, weapons locked together. Then, with a lightning fast move, K'Lali pulled back and slashed; the weapon connected with a space in his armor and the Dremora staggered. Just before he toppled, K'Lali ran him through and the Dremora spewed hot blood before finally falling.

K'Lali panted as she wiped her sword clean. _That's more like it,_ she thought, _Things just couldn't be easy for me…_

K'Lali entered the tower through the black stone door. In the center of a round room, an orange beam shot up all through the height of the tower, into an unseen upper room. Around it, K'Lali saw several spiraling staircases leading in and out of rooms along the wall.

_Looks like that's the way to go: up,_ K'Lali decided, heading towards the nearest door.

The corridors leading upwards were dark, and their architecture had those same spine structures throughout. K'Lali tiptoed up a ramp that lead to a larger room, containing a spiny fountain spewing blood and another Dremora.

This one was dressed in a black robe, obviously reflecting it's status as a mage. A scamp accompanied him, hissing as he crept around the room. K'Lali knew a sneak attack would be key here. She didn't want to take them both at once, which could prove problematic.

She snuck towards the scamp, drawing her sword. The scamp suddenly turned around and spotted her, screeching. K'Lali swung her sword, knocking the scamp back. But the Dremora had spotted her and summoned help: another scamp. The pair of scamps double-teamed her as the Dremora fired flare attacks from afar. K'Lali was hit by several of these fire spells, distracting her from the scamps and allowing them to land several attacks.

"I've had it with you!" she cried, and stomped on the scamps' slender toes. The scamps flinched back and the wounded scamp fell over.

K'Lali saw her opening. She charged the Dremora, who was firing attacks more hurriedly as she approached. She slashed his shoulder, leaving a nasty gash. As the wound spewed forth blood, she grabbed him by the collar and let loose a shock spell. The Dremora jolted, writhed around and then became still.

The summoned scamp disappeared, but the other charged again. This time K'Lali was ready; two well-aimed swings and the scamp fell limp.

K'Lali made her way through the dim halls, fighting and defeating two more Dremora and a handful of scamps. She had almost made it to the top of the tower when she encountered a locked door.

"How the hell do I get to the top?" she breathed to herself.

K'Lali's only choice was to exit the tower through a door on the upper levels. She emerged into the hot air of Oblivion, perched on a stone bridge high above the ground, which crossed to another smaller tower. Having few other options, she scurried across the bridge and into the other tower.

Even from the inside, this tower obviously was much smaller than the one K'Lali had been climbing. She was on a ramp that ringed the inside walls of the tower, spiraling to a platform at the top. Chains that hung from the ceiling held dangling corpses, some of which were flaming. The rank smell of rotting flesh met K'Lali's flared nostrils.

Suddenly, she detected voices from above. A Dremora was speaking in a harsh, growling voice. "Give up, mortal. Your realm is forfeit."

"There's always hope, Sigil Keeper!" another voice answered. K'Lali was surprised to hear a man's voice. "I know how to shut this thing down!"

"How can you, foolish mortal, if you are already dead?" the Dremora cackled evilly. K'Lali heard the man scream in pain. She sprinted up the ramp and confronted the scene.

At the top was a grated floor, with a view of the bottom of the tower. A pointy cage was suspended in the center, containing the man who had cried out. The Dremora had jabbed him with pointed fingers through the bars. He now turned his attention to the newcomer.

"Foolish mortal!" he called, his jagged teeth revealed in a grimace. His spiky magenta hair was slicked back behind his curved horns. "You should not be here! Your blood is forfeit and your flesh is mine!"

K'Lali hissed at him as he pulled out a mace and attacked her. K'Lali was clipped in the shoulder, and as she staggered closer to the edge, the Sigil Keeper pounded her in the chest. She fell on her back, back-pedaling away from two more attacks. She was now pushed to the edge, and she gazed below, where not only the fatal fall but also sharp, lethal spikes greeted her. The Sigil Keeper grinned, thinking he had won.

K'Lali would never give up that easily. She sprang up, over the Dremora's head. Landing behind him she unsheathed her sword and stabbed him in the back. The Sigil Keeper snarled, spun around and tried to whack K'Lali again. K'Lali readily dodged his swings, barreling into him and causing him to fall off the edge. The lucky Dremora managed to grab a hanging corpse and swing his way back to the ramp.

Meanwhile, the man-who K'Lali figured to be Menian-watched the scene cowering in his blood-soaked cage. "The key!" he shouted. "The Sigil Keeper has the key! You must get the key!"

"Understood," K'Lali called back. She rushed to the top of the ramp to meet the Sigil Keeper.

Angrier than ever, the Dremora went to pound K'Lali again. She was clipped again, but upon his second attack she leapt into the air. Above the Dremora, she aimed her sword downwards. She came down on him like a lethal spine, stabbing him in the neck and silencing him.

K'Lali quickly found the key on his body and went back to try to free Menian. She rattled the bars of his cage, trying to find a way to open it, then Menian stopped her.

"Don't worry about me! Go back to the Sigil Keep!" he instructed, "You must find the Sigil Stone-Remove it and the Gate will close!"

K'Lali nodded. "Thank you my friend." She rushed out of the tower and back across the bridge once again.

K'Lali found that the lower area of the Sigil Keep had been far easier; Waves of scamps and Dremora inhabited the upper levels of the tower. Furthermore, they had apparently been alerted to her presence.

"Look! There's the mortal! Kill her!" a Dremora ordered his squadron of scamps. The scamps sprinted towards K'Lali with blood-lust in their eyes, until K'Lali began slashing away at them, slaying most of them. The survivors began retreating.

"Don't run away!" the Dremora screeched angrily, "Stand firm, you cow-"

K'Lali cut him off with the lethal edge of her sword. She killed two more Dremora warriors before their reinforcements arrived from downstairs and she became overwhelmed.

K'Lali was cornered; she had no hope of fighting her way out of the wall of enemies. Her only option was to do what any sensible hero would do.

Run away.

She sheathed her sword and leapt over her adversaries in one swift, agile motion. She broke into a sprint to the top just as the Dremora confusedly realized what had happened. Racing up the tower, K'Lali finally reached the highest room: the Sigellum Sanguis.

In the Sigellum Sanguis, half a dozen Dremora awaited her. Two wore black mages' robes and summoned scamps to their assistance. The others wielded gleaming red swords.

Once again having few options, K'Lali sliced at one of the Dremora mages as she dodged around them. She climbed the red-orange spines that served as stairs as an army of scamps and Dremora chased her. She finally realized she was heading to the top of orange beam of light as she spotted above her a dark sphere that halted it.

Finally reaching the landing, K'Lali realized that sphere was a dark, glowing stone.

She stared at it for a moment until a Dremora that had caught up with her screeched, "Do not let the mortal take the Sigil Stone!"

_The Sigil Stone!_ Without thinking, K'Lali reached into the hot light and grabbed the floating stone. All at once she was blown backwards by the beam which, with the stone gone, shot upwards infinitely. Soon the entire room was bathed in a bright orange light, and structures appeared to be engulfed in flames. K'Lali suddenly feared she would not escape; the flames surrounded her, and there was no exit in sight. Raging Dremora tried to down her, cut into her flesh during her momentary stupor, but K'Lali snapped out of it and fought on, right until the entire tower was swallowed up in the red light. The ground was disappearing from under her feet. K'Lali could no longer see, but on she fought, with an intense burning feeling creeping up her limbs. She was going to die, but she was going to go down fighting…

All of a sudden, K'Lali felt water; Rain drip-dropping on her steaming fur. K'Lali opened her eyes and saw she was standing in the glowing Oblivion Gate, which disintegrated before her eyes.

"You…you did it!" Savlian called, "You actually did it!"


End file.
